BKFC is taking bare-knuckle fights to Japan with a brand new RIZIN partnership that begins in July.
BKFC founder and president David Feldman introduced the information Wednesday on The MMA Hour after lately assembly with RIZIN chief Nobuyuki Sakakibara to debate collaborating. Now a partnership has fashioned that permits BKFC to start transferring into Japan whereas RIZIN fighters get the possibility to take off the gloves and compete in bare-knuckle bouts.
“At present we get to announce the official partnership with BKFC and RIZIN to supply Naked Knuckle Preventing Championship exhibits in Japan and everywhere in the southeast Asia area, in addition to help RIZIN with no matter else they want from around the globe,” Feldman mentioned.
“We’re actually tremendous enthusiastic about this partnership and to accomplice with such a legend like Sakakibara.”
Feldman confirmed the plan begins with bringing over RIZIN fighters to compete in bare-knuckle boxing bouts in BKFC, with the primary look deliberate for July 12 on the upcoming card from the Pechanga Resort On line casino in Temecula, Calif.
From there, BKFC sends a pair of marquee fights to the RIZIN card scheduled on July 12, together with Tai Emery clashing with Charisa Sigala and reigning BKFC flyweight champion John Dodson dealing with a yet-to-be-named opponent from RIZIN in a bare-knuckle battle.
Dodson truly has an current contract with RIZIN, having competed for the promotion on a number of events, however this time he’ll be preventing bare-knuckle in Japan.
Sakakibara, renown because the founding father of PRIDE FC earlier than creating RIZIN in 2015, praised the possibility to work with Feldman and convey a brand new sport like bare-knuckle preventing to Japan.
“We actually really feel the potential of BKFC,” Sakakibara mentioned. “I do imagine that is taking place everywhere in the world within the fight sports activities business, is that every part is type of being nonetheless and all of the followers are in search of a brand new motion. They’re in search of new motion. Precisely what’s taking place in Japan. Clearly stateside they’re doing Energy Slap and all that type of stuff is beginning to take off, however similar factor right here in Japan, lots of people are wanting new issues. They’re wanting extra pleasure.
“We do imagine that BKFC has every part it takes to ship that new pleasure over right here. The Japanese followers, they prefer it, and extra so we do imagine that David and his workforce are extraordinarily skilled and we imagine they know what they’re doing. It simply solely made sense for us to accomplice with them.”
Along with the co-promoted occasion with a pair of BKFC fights in RIZIN, Feldman mentioned he expects to ultimately take a complete present to Japan. Proper now, BKFC is concentrating on late 2024 or extra doubtless early 2025 for the primary full-fledged bare-knuckle battle card in Japan.
Till then, BKFC plans to proceed the expertise change with RIZIN below a co-promoted banner, with all prospects now out there to each organizations below the brand new partnership.
